I was destined to love Christmas. With the name “Joy,” how could I not? For so much of my life, I believed that the reason I loved Christmas was some delicate balance of gifts and decor, and the wide variety of sweet treats, but as an adult, I see there’s so much more.

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. It has been my entire life. I think my love for writing really derived from my love for reading. Reading a good story makes it so easy to appreciate well-constructed words. How those words bring to life characters and add color and light to a subject is truly the mark of a good story for me and ultimately what determines a story worth my time.

“Follow the yellow brick road.” The line from the famous Wizard of Oz isn’t new to most of us, but I think the way we view it changes throughout our life. As a child, when I first heard or read that line, I was so relieved for young Dorothy that her journey seemed so easy.

Words hold immense power. They can uplift and inspire or hurt and discourage. With words, we can build bridges of understanding or walls of division. They shape our thoughts, influence actions and leave lasting impacts. Choose your words wisely, for they can change lives and shape our world.

When was the last time you put together a puzzle? Is it something you enjoy or something you dread? Does it test your patience or test your ability to finish a project?

“Take a step back to get a better view” is a common phrase used when talking about perspective. It’s common knowledge that getting a bird's-eye view of a field helps identify problems in a field better than we can on the ground, but what other things can this saying apply to?

Last month, I touched on the long days of the growing season ahead, but I failed to mention another important “long” that kicks off the start of the summer. Specifically, the first Saturday in May at a certain famous venue in the heart of Kentucky.